Notes from the Weekender Sports Desk

 Was that not one of the ugliest days of NFL football in recent memory yesterday? First, the Giants and Dolphins muck it up in London in a game that may have done more to damage British-American relations than the Iraq war or Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ owner Malcolm Glazer taking over Manchester United in 2006. The afternoon TV games were won by the Patriots and Chargers (over the Redskins and Texans, respectively) by a combined 87-17. And there was no Sunday night game to salvage the day.

 After the Patriots thoroughly pantsed the Redskins, 52-7, the Cowboys’ 48-27 loss doesn’t look so bad now, does it? The Cowboys actually led in the third quarter and were driving for a tying touchdown in the fourth quarter until a penalty (one of about 50 they got that day) forced a punt. And are the Patriots ruthless or what? Going for it on fourth down leading by 38-0 and 45-0?

I love the fact that with a 38-point lead, QB Tom Brady is yelling at his lineman for a false-start penalty. And the fact that, with his helmet off on the bench late in the game, Brady’s hair was perfect (as Warren Zevon might say) and there was no sweat to be seen. He looked he’d just done a GQ cover shoot.

 I was shocked — shocked! — to turn on “Sportscenter” late Saturday night and find ESPN leading with Trinity University football. Fifteen laterals for the winning touchdown, and no band to run interference for them, like Cal-Stanford in 1982. Amazing!

 As for the folks in Division I college football, I’m rooting for everyone to lose at least once so we have an arbitrary championship game and endless arguments afterwards. Maybe that way we can finally get a playoff system. Boston College was on its way to placating me Thursday until Virginia Tech blew it by not being able to cover the BC receivers even with eight DBs in the game and let them off the hook, 14-10 win.

Baseball

 It tells you what kind of year the Rangers had when the best thing that happened to them happened a month after the end of another losing season. A-Rod’s opting out of his contract — that famous $252 million contract he signed seven years ago — means Texas is off the hook for $21.3 million it owed the Yankees for the last three years of the 10-year deal. Here’s a hint — go spend it on pitching. Please!

 Did we have a World Series this year? Oh, yeah; I vaguely remember something about the Red Sox sweeping the Rockies. Saturday’s game that gave Boston a commanding 3-0 lead was like slow torture; at 4:19, it was the longest nine-inning Series game in history. I gave up on Game 4 and went to bed when it was 4-1 and missed what sounded like a mildly exciting Rockies’ rally that closed it to the final score of 4-3.